The Saint (Vol 33 #5) by St Patrick's Athletic FC

2021 Season • Premier Division • Vol. 33 • No. 05 Sat 08 May • Richmond Park, Inchicore, D8 • KO:6.00PM

Lee Desmond

Editorial

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

@stpatsprogramme

Good Evening Writing the foreword after a last gasp equaliser on

On the pitch and off the pitch and that's definitely

the road to Sligo, that was some late, late drama

something to be saluted. Let's all stick together and

indeed! A draw was the least we deserved for our

see where it takes us. Tonight's visitors have set a

efforts in the Showgrounds, but it seemed that it

new standard for relentlessness, but they also

wouldn't happen. Thanks Bermo, thank you very

haven't beaten us during the setting of that

much indeed!

standard. The top two go toe to toe tonight. Isn't it good to be able to say that again?

And so on to tonight. Second home game in a week, and a second programme too obviously. We

Thanks for all the kind comments on the

have loads of great stuff here to keep you reading

programme since the start of the season, please

over the weekend. In particular may I point you

get involved and let us know what you like and

toward the charming article by Ian Templeman

don't like and if you would like to contribute or

about a game he attended with tonight's visitors.

become involved in any way. Thanks to Joe in

Something charming and quirky, both qualities

design and our great panel of contributors for all

which thankfully are in no short supply in the LOI!

their work and reliability.

We also have all our regular features and columns and plenty from the club too. There has been a

Ruairi Kavanagh

massive increase in tempo of everything around St

Editor

Patrick's Athletic recently, I think you will all agree.

The Saint

Contents 22

Supersaints

Paddy Coad

Once a Saint...

Club History

Opposition Watch

Local Heroes

Pensive Points

A View from Afar

Programme Production Editor Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Photo Sportsfile & Inpho 3

Fáilte Tá áthas orainn fáilte a chur roimh mbainistíocht, imreoirí agus lucht tacaíochta Chlub Pheile Ruagairí Na Seamróige go Phairc Richmond anocht.

Welcome We are pleased to welcome the management, players and supporters of Shamrock Rovers Football Club to Richmond Park tonight.

President’s Welcome

St Patrick’s Athletic

Shamrock Rovers

Tom O’Mahony

Manager:

Alan Mathews

Head Coach: Stephen O’Donnell 1 Vítězslav Jaroš

GK o

Stephen Bradley

Asst Manager: Glenn Cronin 1 Alan Mannus

GK o

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening to you, wherever you may be, and welcome to

delivering on his full potential in England after an explosive start to his career there.

2 John Mountney

2 Sean Gannon

tonight's mouth-watering top-of-the-table

3 Ian Bermingham

3 Sean Hoare

clash in Richmond Park between the pride

What came across, in particular, was the

of Dublin City and our friends and rivals

importance to Chris of the understanding

from the neighbouring South County

and support that he gets from the team

Dublin. In any other world, our old

management, players and staff. This is his

stadium would be sold-out and rocking

football home and hopefully that will be

and more's the pity that it isn't - but I think

the case for many years to come. In the

4 Sam Bone

4 Roberto Lopes

5 Lee Desmond

5 Lee Grace

7 Dylan Watts

8 Ronan Finn

6 Jamie Lennon

7 Robbie Benson

8 Chris Forrester

9 Nahum Melvin-Lambert F

9 Aaron Greene

we're in for a cracker of a game

meantime, some of Chris's most

10 Graham Burke

nonetheless.

memorable performances have come in

11 Sean Kavanagh

14 Danny Mandriou

In welcoming the players and officials of

15 Liam Scales

Shamrock Rovers, it's only fitting that I

16 Gary O’Neill

19 Dean Williams

20 Rory Gaffney

10 Ronan Coughlan

11 Jay McClellend

12 Matty Smith

15 Billy King

16 Alfie Lewis

games here against Shamrock Rovers, and perhaps another one lies in store tonight.

congratulate them not just on their title

With one full round of fixtures complete,

win but also on setting a new record this

an early stocktake is appropriate, with the

week with an unbeaten run of 31 league

obvious caveat that there's a very long

games. The previous record stood for

way to go. Nonetheless, we remain

17 Darragh Burns

21 Adam Wells

18 Ben McCormack

nearly a century so that is a remarkable

unbeaten, we have conceded fewest goals

22 Darragh Nugent

achievement. All runs come to an end

and have scored the second highest total,

20 Shane Griffin

23 Neil Farrugia

somewhere, of course...

and are well positioned as the main early

21 Barry Murphy

GK o

24 Max Murphy

25 Josh Keeley

GK o

25 Leon Pohls

GK o

27 Daniel Norris

26 Chris McCann

28 Cian Kelly

27 Dean McMenemy

29 Paddy Barrett

28 Joey O’Brien

31 Kian Corbally

29 Dylan Duffy

30 Killian Cahill

GK o

31 Jordan Tallon

/stpatsfc

32 Cole Omorehiomwan

stpatsfc

33 John Ryan

34 Conan Noonan

/stpatsfc /stpatsfctv info@stpatsfc.com stpatsfc.com

Tonight’s Squads

Match Officials Referee Derek Tomney

Half-Time

challenger to the champions. It's probably Talking of history, our national TV station

fair to say that this is somewhat ahead of

has been providing compulsive viewing in

the pre-season expectations of even our

the new series of Reeling In The Years,

more optimistic supporters. We have

which last weekend focussed on the year

played well but with room for

2013. However, if you were watching our

improvement, which will be required as

match against Longford that same

the other teams will improve also. We

weekend, you could be forgiven for

started this campaign by showing our

thinking you had tuned in to a special

quality against the champions - tonight's

edition of Reeling In The Years for 2013,

rematch is a good opportunity to assess

with St Pats topping the table and Chris

how we're progressing.

Forrester firing in world-class goals. There

have been many high spots for Pats fans

Assistant 1 Wayne McDonnell

Full-Time

Assistant 2 Rob Clarke

4th Official Adriano Reale

MOTM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.04 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

Enjoy the game.

so far this season, but none more satisfying than to see Chris back to his

Tom O'Mahony

very best. He has been very open in

President

recent interviews about the personal

St Patrick's Athletic FC

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB Richmond Park 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, Ireland Tel: +353 1 454 6332 Fax: +353 1 454 6211 For media enquiries, please email press@stpatsfc.com Opening Hours: 9.30am-5pm (Mon-Fri). See our facebook page for additional opening hours on match days. HONOURS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1951/52, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1989/90, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2001/02, 2013 FAI CUP 1958/59, 1960/61, 2014 LEAGUE CUP 2000/01, 2003, 2015, 2016 PRESIDENT'S CUP 2014 LEINSTER SENIOR CUP 1947/48, 1982/83, 1986/87, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1999/2000, 2011, 2014, 2019 LOISHIELD 1959/60 FAI SUPER CUP 1999 DUBLIN CITY CUP 1953/54, 1955/56, 1975/76 LFA PRESIDENT'S CUP 1952/53, 1953/54, 1955/56, 1971/72, 1990/91, 1996/97 FAI INTERMEDIATE CUP 1947/48, 1948/49, 1952/53 (Reserves) FAI JUNIOR CUP 1940/41 FAI YOUTH CUP 1944/45

struggles which prevented him from 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.04 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

The Dugout

Ronan O’Flaherty

Alan Mathews & Stephen O’Donnell

We would like to welcome Stephen Bradley, his players and everyone connected with Shamrock Rovers to Richmond Park for this evening's Premier Division match. The 1-1 draw between the teams on the

who were brought on. We kept pushing, kept

opening night at Tallaght Stadium was hard-

probing and took some risks by committing

fought and there's no reason to expect anything

more men forward.

different this evening. Ian Bermingham's headed equaliser was a real Rovers have been very consistent so far this

captain's goal and ensured that the journey

season, as they were last year when they won

home was much more pleasant than it was

the league. We're looking forward to the

shaping up to be. Bermo leads by example

challenge and, in different circumstances, this

around the club and it was nice to see him

game between first and second probably would

coming up with such a big moment.

have been a sellout. The final whistle at the Showgrounds signalled We go into this Dublin derby in good spirits

the completion of the first series of fixtures. We

after the players followed up last Friday's defeat

have now played each team once. Our points

of Longford Town with a good point in Sligo.

tally of 21 out of 27 is something that we are

You always feel a mixture of elation and relief

pleased with and keen to add to. At the same

when your team scores so late into proceedings,

time, it is still very early in the season, so we

as was the case in Sligo. Having said that, a draw

won't be getting carried away.

was the least we deserved. This is a talented squad of players here at Pat's.

OUR GAME IS ON THE BALL

We were the team forcing the issue for long

They are also honest and continually push

spells. In the first half, we were snappy in our

themselves hard in training and during matches.

play and created some good openings. Between

We still believe there is more to come from

hitting the woodwork and having a one-on-one

them, which can only be good for St Patrick’s

opportunity, it felt as though we should have

Athletic.

been winning. When Sligo broke the deadlock from a penalty early in the second half, it was the first time we had gone behind this season.

UMBRO TEAMWEAR

Enjoy the match, Stephen O'Donnell and Alan Mathews

The players on the pitch reacted brilliantly to the setback of falling behind, as did the substitutes

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT UMBRO.IE OR CONTACT ALAN (086 7880808)/ RICHY (086 0317672) 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

@ronanoflaherty

We love an anniversary around these parts. Another big one came and went last Saturday. The previous night's 3-0 victory over Longford Town had put us in the optimal frame of mind. The date in question still rolls off the tongue: May Day '98. There's a certain ring to it. I have an idea what you're thinking: 2021 minus 1998 is 23. Twenty-three is hardly a "big" anniversary. That's where I disagree, especially following the past year-plus, when watching clips of old games on YouTube has become comforting. The sights and sounds of supporters in a stadium is therapeutic. Good goals become great goals in jam-packed cauldrons of noise. The silence of the past year has been deeply melancholic. Some subscribe to the view that football without fans is nothing. In a way, the pandemic has proven this to be incorrect. If the very existence of football depended on fans, the sport would not have continued to function. However, it is clear that interest in the top leagues is beginning to ail. In a different time, this would have been regarded as a fascinating year for football across the continent. La Liga is a four-horse race as they come down the home straight, with most neutrals rooting for Atletico or Sevilla over the big two. In France, Lille are positioned to do the

improbable and deprive Paris StGermain of the French title. In England, Leicester City have qualified for the Champions League and reached the FA Cup final. And yet, people are tuning out. Apathy has crept in. Never before have we witnessed, over such a sustained period of time, the extent of the contribution made by supporters. Their absence serves as a constant reminder. We now know that their very presence enhances the TV viewer's experience. May Day '98 was special. Of course, it wouldn't have been half as special without the Pat's fans that night in Buckley Park, Kilkenny. It was the final game of the season and a runners-up position was the likely outcome. In the lead-up, some supporters turned to faith. Each night, they prayed for a Dundalk victory against Shelbourne. Dundalk, with nothing to play for, had already lost to Shelbourne in their previous two league meetings that season. Even a draw would have been enough for Rico's Reds to clinch the title. So fixated had the St Pat's community become about Dundalk's prospects that most of us failed to acknowledge the threat posed by Kilkenny City. This is illustrated by the chants of "we want seven" which rang out when

Colin Hawkins fired Pat's into an early lead. The significance of scoring seven was that it would put us in a position to win the league, even if Shelbourne drew. It was a fanciful thought. Pat's had averaged a relatively low 1.4 goals per game in the season up to that point, so it was unlikely that they would rattle home seven on the final day. In our defence, that hope was driven by the fact that Kilkenny City were not very good. They had 19 points out of a possible 96 and had already been relegated weeks earlier. The possibility of them causing a moment of worry appeared slim. That was the thought process before we knew about Michael Reddy. Just 18-years-old, he was a Kilkenny lad playing for his local team. He had already featured in a handful of games for the team, but not enough to send shockwaves through the league. He waited for Pat's to do that. In a breathtaking – and sometimes terrifying – display of pace and skill, Reddy could consider himself unlucky not to have scored at least once. During a seven-minute period in the second half, he orchestrated three one-on-ones. Only for the brilliance of Trevor Wood and some good luck, Reddy would have given Kilkenny the lead. Martin Reid had equalised before half-time.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

At Oriel Park, second-half goals by Keith Ward and Brian Byrne sent Dundalk into a 2-0 lead. Both goals were greeted with a huge roar in Kilkenny. A sense of desperation was injected into the team's play. This was characterised by an abandonment of footballing principles in the pursuit of getting the ball up the pitch. Kilkenny, managed by a legendary figure in Alfie Hale, defended like their lives depended on it. The tension was unbearable. To lose out on the title by failing to beat Kilkenny City would have been gut-wrenching. Eddie Gormley's goals were normally of the spectacular variety. However, his intervention that night was anything but. It felt like everyone on the pitch, apart from Trevor Wood, was camped in the Kilkenny goalmouth. The ball broke for Leon Braithwaite who attempted, unsuccessfully to control the ball on the edge of the box. Braithwaite lost his footing, prompting loud claims for a penalty. The ball rolled to Eddie, whose shot was not destined for greatness until it deflected off Reddy and rolled into the net, with a flatfooted John Connolly looking on in despair. The pitch invasion and pile-on that followed prompted words from referee John Feighery to Pat's manager Pat Dolan. Whatever he said, it made an impact. Dolan pleaded with the fans in the stand behind him, as well as those in the terrace behind the goal, to "please move back". He repeated the

request several times, gesturing with his hands and arms. Amid all the mayhem, word filtered through that Stephen Geoghegan had pulled a goal back for Shelbourne. However, it would be their only goal. With the match over in Dundalk, the amateur whistlers among the Pat's following joined forces to produce a headacheinducing cacophony of noise. That day was as much about the supporters. The memory of coachload after coachload pulling up outside the ground beforehand remains vivid. The flares, too. You always remember the flares.

trophy aloft after scoring the allimportant goal. But it wasn't the actual league trophy, merely just a stand-in that had been commissioned for a match between the League of Ireland and League of Wales. It is an unremarkable piece of silverware. On this night, however, it was a sight for sore eyes as it symbolised the team's status as champions of Ireland. For some, May Day '98 ranks as their most memorable day supporting the club. Such special memories shouldn't just be dusted down every five or ten years. I'm already looking forward to the twenty-fourth anniversary in 2022.

When Feighery finally sounded the final whistle, the outpouring of joy was life-affirming to behold. It was fitting that Eddie Gormley would be the man to hoist the

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Dodge’s Data!

Ronan O’Flaherty

John Owens

@seidodge

League Record v Shamrock Rovers HOME GAMES

Last 10 games v Shamrock Rovers

AWAY GAMES

TOTAL GAMES

GOALS

178 70

GOALS

115

117

19/10/07

20/03/55

30/12/56

04/02/62

05/01/69

Richmond pk

Dalymount

Richmond pk

5-0

0-5

1-6

0-5

1-6

30/10/88

09/08/13

24/03/57

02/12/84

Dalymount

Tallaght

Milltown

4-0

0-4

203

232

Conan Byrne with the match ball after his four goal performance in Tallaght.

08 LOI

19/03/21

Tallaght Stadium

League

1-1

04/11/20

Tallaght Stadium

League

0-0

16/08/20

Richmond Park

League

0-0

29/09/19

Tallaght Stadium

League

0-0

01/07/19

Richmond Park

League

0-2

29/04/19

Tallaght Stadium

League

0-1

08/03/19

Richmond Park

League

0-1

12/10/18

Richmond Park

League

0-1

22/05/18

Tallaght Stadium

League

0-3

4/05/18

Richmond Park

League

WIN

DRAW

LOSE

09/08/13

MAY

Brandywell

Competition

GOALS

Club Records in League Games with Shamrock Rovers

2004

Venue

Lopes OG

110

Date

Derry City

0-0

2-0

Grace OG, K Brennan (pen)

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Pats 3 Longford 0 Starting XI 1 Jaroš 4 Bone 5 Desmond 6 Lennon 8 Forrester 12 Smith 15 King 16 Lewis 17 Burns 20 Griffin 29 Barrett Subs 10 Coughlan 2 Mountney 3 Bermingham 18 McCormack

Coughlan 47mins Forrester 52, 90 mins

Richmond Park • 30 April 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

57 HT

HT HT 57 85

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Squad Sponsorship

Ronan O’Flaherty

Vítězslav Jaroš

John Mountney

Ian Bermingham

Robbie Benson

Chris Forrester

Nahum Melvin-Lambert

Goalkeeper

Defender

Midfield

Forward

HOME SPONSOR

KAVANAGHS PUB

BISTO FLOOD APPRECIATION SOCIETY

BILL DUGGAN

LUKE MULLINS

DECED

KEVIN ROCHE

AWAY SPONSOR

SWEENEYS

JOHN PAUL MOORE

CLÍODHNA BRAY

WILLIAM MORGAN

DC FITNESS PHYSIO

O'CALLAGHAN FAMILY

Sam Bone

Lee Desmond

Jamie Lennon

Ronan Coughlan

Jay McClellend

Matty Smith

Defender

Midfield

Forward

HOME SPONSOR

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC SUPPORTERS GROUP

WILL MORGAN

TOMMY KEYES

THE CLOCK

JOHN HUDSON

FYNCH

AWAY SPONSOR

THE LADS OFF THE CAMAC

CIAN MENTON

KILLIAN DONNELLY

MUSCAT SAINTS

BRIAN BRAMHALL

PATRICK COSTELLO TD

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Squad Sponsorship Billy King

Alfie Lewis

Darragh Burns

Josh Keeley

Daniel Norris

Cian Kelly

Forward

Midfield

Forward

Goalkeeper

Midfield

Defender

HOME SPONSOR

SMcN CONSULTING

PATRON SAINTS

THOMPSON SOLICITORS

GRACE O'REILLY

CONOR O'TOOLE

LAUREN O'REILLY AWAY SPONSOR

AWAY SPONSOR

QUALITY MOTORS

ZOE O'REILLY

MARK B SHOPFITTING LTD.

PRECISION IRELAND

DARRAGH O'TOOLE

Ben McCormack

Shane Griffin

Barry Murphy

Paddy Barrett

Kian Corbally

Stephen O’Donnell

Midfield

Defender

Goalkeeper

Defender

Midfield

Head Coach

Ronan O’Flaherty

HOME SPONSOR

SEI

DARAGH O'HALLORAN

DALTON FAMILY

PROLINK STAFFING

McCRUDDEN FITNESS AWAY SPONSOR

AWAY SPONSOR

JOAN STAPLETON

CAMAC SAINTS 2.0

SCOTT KELLY

PROLINK STAFFING

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Evening Herald Monday 10 May 2004

MAY

08 2004

DERRY CITY 0 ST PATRICK'S ATH 0

ST PATRICK'S Athletic chairman Andy O'Callaghan says the door is still open for former manager Eamonn Collins to return to the club and take up his job again. But if Collins sticks to his decision to quit the

"We have appointed Martin Russell as caretaker,

Dublin club, then the current management team of

with Paul Osam as his assistant, and I could see

caretaker boss Martin Russell and assistant Paul

them staying in charge for a month at least until we

Osam will be give a chance to prove themselves and

know what direction we're going on. They will be in

get the job on a long-term basis.

charge for the next couple of games anyway," added O'Callaghan.

The duo were in charge for Saturday's league game away to Derry City, where the Saints ended a four-

"The St Pat's way has always been to appoint

game losing streak by gaining a 0-0 draw in a game

managers who have a St Pat's tradition. We have

which they could even have won.

generally appointed managers from within. Pat Dolan took over from Brian Kerr, then Liam Buckley

A number of high-profile figures in the game have

moved up to take the job, Pat Dolan came back in

already expressed an interest in the Pats job, but

again, then Pat's assistant Eamonn Collins took over

O'Callaghan says the board expect to maintain the

when Pat went. It has served us well in the past and

Pat's tradition of appointing "St Pat's people" as

we could do the same again."

manager. O’Callaghan, who says he was impressed with the "I haven't given up hope that Eamonn will change his

performance in the Brandywell on Saturday night,

mind and the door is still open for him to do that,"

insists that the club still needs investment to make

says O'Callaghan.

progress.

LESS LIKELY

"I know Eamonn was frustrated by the financial

"But as time goes on it's less and less likely that he will do that and if Eamonn isn't coming back then

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.04 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

situation, but there is no way we are going out of business," says the Pat's chairman.

the board will have to think about what we want to

"We do need to get more money into the club but

do."

there is a good deal of interest out there.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Pageturners Fiona Neill

Dublin City Council's Book Of The Month and The Saint has two copies up for grabs! Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession As part of One Dublin One Book Dublin City Council are encouraging all its citizens to read the same book during the month of April every year. Leonard and Hungry Paul was the chosen book for 2021. Leonard and Hungry Paul has been nominated for a number of prizes, including the Irish Novel of the Year and the British Book Award for Best Debut. I have just finished reading this and would recommend it as it made me smile. The two main characters Leonard and Hungry Paul are best friends. As the book progresses you can't help warming to them and hoping that life will work out. The bit with the box of sweets in the shop had me giggling. It is not just me who liked it as borrowing figures for April show that Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession (Bluemoose Books) is the most borrowed ebook and eaudio book in Irish libraries! You can borrow Leonard and Hungry Paul from your local library using the BorrowBox app. If you are not familiar with BorrowBox it is an app that allows digital access to your library. It is easy to sign up and you can borrow up to 5 books at a time including audio versions. I've put the links below where you can find an audio of the first chapter.

OUR GAME KNOWS YOUR NAME THE OFFICIAL MATCH BALL FOR THE 2021 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE, FEATURING BESPOKE BALLS MADE FOR EACH CLUB

http://www.onedublinonebook.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2021/03/LEONARD-AND-PAUL-firstchapter-1.pdf

We have two copies of Leonard and Hungry Paul to give away to the first two readers who can email stpatsprogramme@gmail.com with the answer to the following question, which can be found somewhere on page 10 of this issue:

WWW.UMBRO.IE

How many goals have the Saints scored against Shamrock Rovers in total?

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Super Saints Dan O’Brien

Ronan O’Flaherty

Johnny Keegan

@johnnykeegan

“When we played Bohs, I messaged the lads (a bit worse for wear) to say “If Ronan Coughlan scores, I’m gonna sponsor him for the year.” Lo and behold, he buried the header and he’s now sponsored by the Muscat Saints!”

Surrounded by mountains and desert to its south, and the Gulf of Oman to its north, the port city of Muscat is the capital of Oman, and home to a population of 1.4 million people. Amongst them is Pat’s fan and teacher, Dano O’Brien. “In 2019 full-time teaching posts were as scarce as a hen’s tooth. I was subbing in Drimnagh Castle and was getting a decent wage but the tax was crippling. I got a phone call about an offer to teach in Oman. I hadn’t a clue where Oman was at the time, only that Ireland had played them a few times, but I decided to take the job regardless. I’d always wanted to work abroad before I was 30 and this was the chance.” At this juncture, us Irish are wired to always ask the same question: What’s the food and drink like over there? “The local food is not bad. They love shawarmas and mishkak (skewered chicken and lamb cooked in these mad spices). They also have McDonald’s, KFC, etc, that deliver to the apartment so there’s no shortage of choice, but the local food is decent. There’s a few Irish Bars over here and nightclubs in the hotels. Lots of expats go to brunch on Friday where you’d get unlimited food and drink from 26pm for about 30 Rial (€65). Since last March, the social scene has been very quiet, but, Inshallah, it’ll pick up once this vaccine gets rolled out. The locals over here are sound, apart from some mental drivers. As long as you follow the law of the land, they’re grand.”

Muscat’s Islamic population are currently in the middle of Ramadan. What’s that like?

the following day also, which was brilliant.”

“Tough, in fairness. During fasting hours, you can’t eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public, people get serious fines or even jail time for it, so going out for a walk in the heat is dangerous, the temperature gets up to about 40 degrees. It hasn’t rained here in 16 months either. The off-licences and bars shut for Ramadan, so you need to stock up on alcohol for the month. One positive, the working hours are reduced for the month because of fasting.”

How have you found it supporting Pats from overseas? WatchLOI must be a blessing for you.

What sports are popular over there? “Football and cricket are massive. Remember the keeper that played for Wigan? Al Habsi. He’s a hero over here. There’s a professional league, the team in my area, Seeb SC, won the title last season. I went to see them a few times but it wasn’t the same buzz as Inchicore.”

“I arrived in Oman just before the end of the 2019 season, so it was a case of staying up until 1am for updates on Twitter or trying to catch a dodgy stream on a betting site. Obviously, I wish there wasn’t a need for WatchLOI but it’s been an absolute gift being able to see games again. I’m trying to convert some of the country lads into watching us but to little avail yet. But my girlfriend is watching intently, she hasn’t got much choice!”

Muscat has a small Irish community of 250 people, working mostly in education and plumbing. There’s a GAA club, Clann na hOman, of which Dano is a member. Of course, Pat’s remain top priority.

Dano was one of 26 Saints to complete the Pre-Season with St Pat’s health and wellbeing programme earlier this year.

“I’m involved with the SEI, so I’m kept well in the loop with what’s going on, which is great. Last November when it became clear I wasn’t going to make it home for Christmas, the lads organised it with Conan Byrne for Eddie Gormley to give me a ring to keep my spirits up, which was amazing for me. The club putting it on their socials was a nice touch. Club legend, Darragh Maguire, messaged me

“The programme was excellent. During the lockdowns here in Oman, I’d lashed on the weight due to not being able to go anywhere and just eating terribly because of the homesickness and everything going on. So, I thought it would be great to join

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

up and hopefully lose a bit of weight. But it became much more than that. It was a forum for fans to talk about changes they’d want to make in their own lifestyles, it was great to know I wasn’t alone. I ended up losing two-and-a-half stone, and now I walk 5k most days for fun. Anyone who’s feeling down mentally and feels a little slip physically, should definitely join next year. It’s an amazing programme and I have to say a massive thanks to Davey, Rob and the rest of the coaches for their hard work and effort in organising it.”

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Finally, what do the Muscat Saints think of Ronan Coughlan so far? “He looks a real talent, great linkup play, I’m hoping for a few more goals. I’ve watched every game so far this season and I’ve been stunned with how well we’re doing with such a young squad. We’re playing some great stuff and hopefully we’ll put more goals in as the weeks go on.”

If you or a Super Saint you know would like to be interviewed, please email johnnykeegan22@gmail.com

Notice This!

Ronan O’Flaherty

Karl Stafford

@karl_pats

Saints Weekly Newsletter We are delighted to announce the launch of our new weekly club newsletter. The weekly newsletter will keep supporters up to date with all the latest news, fixtures, community activity, club merchandise and lots more throughout the season. Newsletter subscribers will also have access to exclusive shop discounts and special offers from the Super Saints Store. Sign up for the newsletter at www.stpatsfc.com/news

Golden Goal Competitions The Golden Goal Game will run exclusively on the Super Saints Store. Tickets cost €5 each. You can choose your lucky number in the dropdown section and every number is available to purchase twice meaning two prizes are up for grabs.

the club a message on WhatsApp, our number is 085 126 4615. This will

Prize for picking the correct time of the first goal scored in the game is €100 in cash or a €125 Voucher for the Super Saints Store.

be operational during office hours Monday to Friday. Please note we are

More info on SuperSaintsStore.com

help with shop, ticket, and general queries from supporters. You can drop

• Full Page Advert in The Saint Matchday Magazine (Artwork Provided from Business one week in advance).

Darragh Noonan Josh Coulahan Ray Ryan Mick Banks Martin O Hanlon

(From €1,000)

This package will include the following:

• Logo on the cover of The Saint Matchday Magazine.

John Byrne

Sam Brien

not set up to receive calls, but you can still call the office on 01 454 6332.

• Title of Match Sponsor for your Chosen Match.

Alex Molloy Bernard Corcoran

It's now easier than ever to contact us. We are on WhatsApp Business to

Match Sponsorship

Best wishes to the following Supersaints who celebrate lockdown Birthdays throughout the month of May.

• First line of Match Preview on stpatsfc.com will mention your Business.

Reeling in the St Patrick’s Athletic Years

Julianna Lawless Liam Houston Dominic Kellet

We are seeking expressions of interest from individuals

Gareth Robinson

• Social Media post Two days before our game containing link to your Business Website and/or Social Accounts tagged.

willing to take part in a virtual programme (via Zoom)

Geoffrey Woodhead

which will revisit some key events of our illustrious history.

Sylvia Mahon

• Signed St Pats Home Jersey (Optional giveaway on social media).

The programme will take place on Friday afternoons at

Michael Brady

4pm and run for a duration of six weeks. While a start date

Hugh Kennedy

Match Ball Sponsorship

(From €250)

Ian Henderson

is yet to be confirmed, a provisional date of late April has been earmarked if enough interest in secured.

This package will include the following: • Title of Match Ball Sponsor for your Chosen Match.

• Line in Match Preview on stpatsfc.com will mention your Business.

• Logo on the cover of The Saint Matchday Magazine.

• Signed St Pats Football (Optional giveaway on social media).

Please email

Craig McDonnell Jonathon Kennedy Thomas Kavanagh

david.morrissey@stpatsfc.com

Ciaran O'Brien

to express interest or for more

Adam Schmitz

information.

Rachel Walsh Aidan O'Byrne Thomas Abbey

Please contact karl.stafford@stpatsfc.com for more information.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Once A Saint...

Ronan O’Flaherty

Damien Byrne

@DamienByrne92

The 2009 domestic campaign was certainly one to forget for the Saints faithful. Despite this, we embarked on one of the most memorable European runs the club has ever had. A mid-season signing of a league stalwart and natural goal scorer played no small part in helping the club achieve on the continent that summer. Declan “Fabio” O’Brien arrived at St Pat’s in July 2009 on-loan from Dundalk. Fabio as he was affectionately known had joined Dundalk from local rivals Drogheda at the beginning of the season but for one reason or another, things hadn’t worked out. O’Brien had spent 7 years with Drogheda

having joined from amateur football and won the First Division title in his maiden season. Fabio soon donned the armband for the Drogs and won an FAI Cup in 2005, added to a League and Setanta Cup double in 2007, pipping the Saints who finished second in the league that year. “Jeff (Kenna) enquired about me to Gaz Rogers, I wasn’t happy at Dundalk and everyone know that at the time, so it was a perfect fit” O’Brien explains. “That squad that year was unbelievable when you look at the individuals, Ryan Guy, Glen Fitzpatrick, Mark Quigley, Gary Dempsey, Bobby Ryan and Gaz Rogers who went on to have an unbelievable career after that.” “It was a short stint at Pats but a memorable one, it’s a time people ask a lot of questions about as you’ve mentioned with the quality in the squad and the European run.” That European run took us from Malta to Russia and unfortunately ended in the RDS to Romanian powerhouses Steaua Bucharest. Fabio scored home and away against both Valletta and Krylya Sovetov to help setup the glamour tie for the Saints. The fourgoal haul made Declan the record European goal scorer for the club until Christy Fagan surpassed him in 2016. The European games still hold a special place in O’Brien’s career but did leave him pondering what might have been.

30 July 2009: Fabio goes past Belozervo of Krylya Sovetov to get a shot on target.

against Bucharest, we had them rattled for a while until they got a late goal. I think it was one all when Alan Cawley hit the bar to go 2-1 up with twenty minutes to go, that would’ve changed the whole tie.”

and those trips are where you get most of the memories and we certainly had a few of them.” A move to Valletta after his St Pat’s stint was then on the cards, although a deal to go England and re-unite with former Saints assistant Paul Peschisolido at Burton was also on the table. Roddy Collins was managing Floriana in Malta at the time and O’Brien had a brief spell playing a couple of trial games there before meeting with Jordi Cruyff at Valletta, son of the great Johan Cruyff.

“I think the European run was up there with any Irish teams run when you look at the quality of Sovetov and even the home tie

“For me personally scoring goals in most ties, playing well against Bucharest, it was a bit disappointing over there with no fans in the ground, we re-jigged the team up and didn’t play the system we had been playing. I was up top usually but on the righthand side, so I didn’t have a chance to add to my run of goals from midfield. That was a bit disappointing but overall it was a fantastic few months, some great camaraderie among the players

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Ultimately, the professional set up and deal on offer at Valletta, along with the quality of players and the allure of working with

Cruyff was the deciding factor. With a young family at the time, the change of scenery was welcomed and a year in the sun was coupled with two cup successes. There is one anecdote which Declan likes to recall about his time in Malta and a brief mention of a footballing god. “There’s a funny story I tell people about Valletta. Jordi asked me to go to the cinema one of the first nights, Avatar I think was on. It was me and Jordi with another player, a Cameroonian international. Jordi’s phone rang and he excused himself and answered the call, next of all we heard him

Once A Saint... Damien Byrne Given Declan’s short time at the Saints, we asked him

200 Not Out d n o m s e D e Le

to pick an XI of players he played with throughout his career. There is three exSaints included!

Gary Rogers Drogheda & St Pat’s Brian Shelley Drogheda Jason Gavin Drogheda & St Pat’s Jordi Cruyff Valletta 23 July 2009: Fabio and Brendan Clarke after Valetta away.

saying, “Dad” on the call. One minute I’m playing for Pats and the next I’m sitting in the cinema with Jordi Cruyff and he’s talking to his Dad, probably the greatest footballer ever. That certainly settled me in anyway.” After Valletta, Declan returned to Ireland and featured for Athlone, Monaghan, returned to Drogheda and had spells in the Norther Ireland Football League with Glenavon and Carrick Rangers before returning to the amateur game in 2017 as player-manager at Verona. Nowadays, Fabio has a role as Process Area manager with An Post, which as he says himself can be demanding time wise as well as possible travel but is enjoying it nonetheless. Football is still a part of life but it’s more of a family affair with Verona in Dublin. “I manage my sons under 10s team in Verona, I setup an academy there 5 or 6 years ago. I enjoy that a couple of days a week trying to develop younger players and hopefully we can turn a couple into good professionals, good athletes and give them some of the knowledge I gained, that’s what it’s about now for me.”

Simon Webb Drogheda Paddy McCourt Glenavon Ciaran Martyn Glenavon Njongo Priso Valletta Keith Fahey Drogheda Ollie Cahill Drogheda Kevin Braniff Glenavon

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Last Friday’s victory over Longford Town marked Lee Desmond's 200th appearance for the club. A long-time

Year

Apps

2015

favourite of the fans, and an almost guaranteed first on the

2016

team sheet, Lee has been the epitome of classy consistency

2017

in the Saints defence, and sometimes in midfield, since he

2018

joined the club.

2019

2020

He joined from Shelbourne in 2015, when Liam Buckley was

2021

in charge of the Saints and has rewarded the faith of Bucko,

Total

Harry Kenny and now Stephen O'Donnell and Alan Mathews.

Comp

At the end of almost every season, many fans always felt the

League

166

fear that Lee would be tempted elsewhere, but seven years

FAI Cup

later we are still very proud to have him at Richmond Park.

League Cup

Thanks for your loyalty and commitment Lee.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Apps

Leinster Senior Cup

Europe

Presidents Cup Long may it continue!

9 201

Total

1 201

Opposition Watch

Ronan O’Flaherty

Paul Maguire

@PaulGoS

Ah Shamrock Rovers at home – it’s one of the fixtures Pats fans look out for at the start of every season given the rivalry that has developed between the two clubs in recent years. For many decades Pats have always thrived on being the percieved underdogs and many’s the league champion that has been sent packing down Emmet Road. This season feels different though and although both teams start the week on top of the league, arguably Pats have had the more impressive start and definitely have surprised many LOI watchers. So what of our opponents tonight? A quick glance at the Rovers

Stephen Bradley

squad suggests they probably should be top of the table. In the close season they added serial winners Sean Gannon and Sean Hoare from Dundalk to a defensive unit that already had the likes of Lee Grace and Roberto Lopes. This just shows just what the rest of the league is up against. The likes of Ronan Finn doesn’t start every game? Only two teams remained unbeaten through April this season, The Saints and tonights opponents who equalled a 94year-old record of 30 league games unbeaten, set by the Rovers team of 1926/27 & 27/28 – both seasons were 18 games long which seems a fitting stat to include given Rovers current unbeaten run includes all of the 2020 league season and actually stretches all the way back to September 2019. During their unbeaten run to last years title the only side not to be beaten by Rovers were St. Pats with 0-0 draws in both games between

the two in Tallaght and Inchicore. That trend continued in the first round of games of the 2021 season when the teams drew 1-1 when the Saints held Stephen Bradleys men in the 2nd game of the season in Tallaght Stadium. So, we welcome a team on a 30game unbeaten run to Richmond Park – on the face of it Pats have an uphill battle on their hands, or do they…. While probably most peoples favourites to lift the league trophy come October Rovers of 2021 are not quite the freescoring all conquering champions this unbeaten record suggests. Let’s look at the stats – those 30 games look like this - P30 W24 D6 L0 F64 A12. Impressive but one figure stands out – F64. Averaging barely over 2 goals a game during that run and having not managed to score more than that in any game so far this season probably suggests that the Hoops have found goals relatively difficult to come by.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

In fairness, losing the creative engine (and 16 goals) of Jack Byrne (APOEL) and Aaron McEneff (Hearts) was always going to prove significant and the signing of Danny Mandroiu, as good as he is, was never going to replace those two. He could still prove

Sean Hoare

to be the ace in the Rovers pack and a brilliant strike (Ok, with a little help from the keeper..) in a win over Dundalk suggests he is finding his 2019 form again - a worrying thought for LOI defenders. Republic of Ireland cap Graham Burke is currently the Hoops top scorer this season with 3 goals to his name although he tends to

miss as many as he scores (see also ex-Saint Aaron Greene). Dylan Watts has impressed, scoring a couple of goals and also he leads their assists stats however, the fact this figure is only 2 confirms the earlier statistic that they’re not exactly prolific in front of goal. A quick look at some of their games so far this season bears this out. Only an 89th minute header from Greene rescued a point against ourselves in the opening game of the season, as did Rory Gaffney away to Sligo. They left it even later against Longford in Tallaght where former Saint Sean Gannon got the winner in the 93rd minute and later again the following week away to Drogheda, Mandroiu popped up in the 95th minute. This is not a team that scored 3+ goals almost half their games as they did last year but one thing is certain, they don’t half go for 90 minutes plus interest. That, many would say, is a mark of champions. At the other end of the pitch where only 7 goals were conceded the whole of last season, already 5 have been put past Alan Mannus and his

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Sean Gannon

defence in 2021 but that’s serious nit-picking. As far as the league table goes, that’s all that separates the two teams with the Saints top on goal difference with both teams having scored 13 times in 8 games. It’s that close between the two sides. Key battles this evening? Well they’re all over the pitch - Lee Desmond v the pacey Aaron Greene, Jamie Lennon v Dylan Watts, Lopes v Coughlan, can Gary O’Neill handle Chris Forrester? Actually, can ANYONE handle Chris Forester????

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Pitchside Sponsors

Who’s Who at The Saint?

We would like to thank the following who have

Like so many other things on match night, it takes considerable effort

sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

to compile the issue of The Saint you’re viewing. So who’s who? RUAIRI KAVANAGH: EDITOR

KIERAN COUGHLAN

Works with the club, contributors and designers ato deliver each issue. Apart from that he specialises in getting randomers to come along to their first Pats game. This tactic has yielded a 100% win ratio to date.

When not found on the Camac, Kieran is to be found finding inventive ways to torture Saints fans with his fiendishly tricky questions.

JOE O’ROURKE: DESIGNER Part of the All Saints Show, having previously designed the club murals among other things Joe has spearheaded the redesign of The Saint and was a major reason for us being named Programme of the Year. Thanks Joe! PAT O’CALLAGHAN Long club serving historian and programme curator. Pat has been involved with the club and the programme for decades. He’s also one of the friendly faces you encounter when entering the ground to buy your programme. JIMMY EDWARDS Following on from his father's (of the same name) 30 years of writing for the programme, Jimmy Edwards (Junior) continues the Pensive Points tradition. JOHN OWENS Statto supreme, we reckon he has shares in Microsoft Excel. An incredible range of knowledge, John was way too modest when he once described himself as just a ‘guy with a few spread sheets!’. IAN TEMPLEMAN Our foreign correspondent. Writes, with considerable eloquence, from the UK with his observations on our league and particularly the Saints. Ever reliable, always has his copy in first. RONAN O’FLAHERTY Journalist with a passion for Pats, Ronan comes from good Saints stock, as his surname might suggest. Ever the optimist Ronan can put a positive slant on the most dismal run of form. We know, we gave him plenty of opportunities last season!

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

STEPHEN BENNETT Journalist with the Herald and a lifelong Saints fan. Inchicore born and bred, a lover of soccer history both home and abroad. He's not great at getting trains back from away matches, however. DERMOT LOONEY Dermot is from Greenhills and has followed Pat's since he was a teenager in the 1990's. He is working on a St Pat's History project, researching and collecting information on the history of our club. You can check it out at @HistoryStPats on Twitter. Get in touch with him with any memories or memorabilia from the club's history. SEÁN BRENNAN Seán is a full time languages teacher in Dublin a part time writer on football culture and cooking. He has been following St Pats since the early noughties and Serie A since the late nineties. A former resident of France, UK and Germany, he enjoys train journeys, radio, pasta and everything with the prefix ‘Euro-‘. PAUL MAGUIRE Inchicore born & bred, Paul has been following the Saints since the late 80s. Favourite ever Pats player is Eddie Gormley. Used to host The All Saints Show and Pats match commentary until the FAI closed it down so now writes about the opposition rather than talking about them. Has around 50 Pats jerseys but can only fit into 10 of them. Plays guitar and sings, likes trains. SEAN CREEDON A Kerryman living in Dublin... a long time. He has been attending League of Ireland and Republic of Ireland home games for over 50 years. Interested in all sports, but mainly GAA, Soccer and Rugby. A member of the Soccer Writers’Association. Writes on LOI and international matters.

Sligo Rovers 1 Pats 1

Bermingham 90+5mins

Showgrounds • 03 May 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

Starting XI 1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Bone

Desmond

Lennon

Forrester

Coughlan

Smith

King

Barrett

Burns

Lewis

McCormack

Subs

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Pitchside Sponsors

Pensive PointsRonan O’Flaherty Jimmy Edwards

We would like to thank the following who have sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening All Welcome to all from Shamrock Rovers. Tonight's

which Gibson then stepped up and converted. 1-0

visitors are setting the pace at the top of the table

Sligo. Pats upped the tempo and moved the ball

but we find ourselves within touching distance. With

well, putting Sligo under pressure but Sligo broke a

only two points separating the teams going into

couple of times and could well have scored to make

tonight's game, and with both sides unbeaten going

it 2-0. Luckily for us they didn't and after a sustained

into the encounter, it should make for an exciting

spell of pressure and a number of corners we

match.

eventually grabbed a fully deserved equaliser from Captain fantastic Ian Bermingham. He glanced a

I thought the performance against Longford in our

header into the far post in injury time to keep us

last home game was very encouraging, because I

unbeaten and to set up tonight's mouth watering

think most people will agree that the first half was

game between the two most consistent sides this

the worst 45 minutes of football we have played this

year. I thought we would really miss Robbie Benson

season. But whatever Stephen and Alan said to the

when he got injured, and don't get me wrong, the

lads had the desired effect and the second half was

sooner he's back the better, but I think it shows the

much more like the performances we have become

squad depth we have this year because in came

accustomed to this season.

Alfie Lewis and he has been excellent also.

Ronan Coughlan showed his predatory instincts

Chris Forrester has been voted our player of the

when stabbing home from Darragh Burns brilliant

month for March and April and its well deserved. He

cross, and then it became the became the Chris

has been excellent, but one player who pushed him

Forrester show when he scored two wonderful goals.

close is Lee Desmond. Lee played his 200th game

The first was a thing of beauty when he curled the

for the club last Friday v Longford and his contri-

ball into the top corner from about 20 yards. Then

bution to the club has been fantastic. Congrats to

the second showed real skill when he danced

them both.

through a number of Longford players and then picked his spot and stuck it in the bottom corner to

I'd like to wish belated Happy Birthday to two

seal a fine 3-0 win. On then to Sligo Rovers away last

Supersaints, Joe O'Rourke and Paul Maguire, who

Monday.

both do so much for the club.

The first half was end to end with both sides having

Enjoy the game,

chances but neither side able to convert so it was 0-

Up the Saints,

0 at the half. The second half saw Sligo awarded a penalty early in the half for a foul on Jordan Gibson

Jimmy

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Patron Saints This scheme is a special and unique initiative aimed at ALL St Patrick’s Athletic fans... The main aim is to aid the long-term development of this great football club. We firmly believe for any LOI Club to be successful, it needs the fans to play a huge part. As it’s your club, we are urging all fans, where possible, to join the scheme today.

For the past few years the Patron Saints have run: • The St Patrick’s Athletic Awards Night • Santa Claus visit to Richmond • The Hano Cup These were all fundraised through Golden Goals, raffles and innovative events such as snail racing.

Projects the Patron Saints have contribute to: • Emmet Road Mural • U19s Team Kit • Heart Monitoring Equipment • Media Room Renovation • West Stand Repairs • Club Shop • Grounds Keeping Equipment • Strength and Conditioning Equipment.

Benefits of joining the Patron Saints: • Badge & Membership Card • Priority access to Match tickets • Voting rights on what projects Patron Saints funds will go on • Twice yearly meeting with club officials

• Discounts on most Patron run events • Free annual raffle for player signed jersey sponsored by the Patron Saints • Free annual raffle for a set of signed programmes of the season

TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP GOLD MEMBERSHIP

€10 per week | €40 per month | €480 per year

SILVER MEMBERSHIP

€5 per week | €20 per month | €240 per year

BRONZE MEMBERSHIP

€5 per month | €60 per year

For more information or to sign up: email stpatssc@gmail.com, go to facebook.com/spafcpatronsaints or pop by the Patron Saints desk in the club shop on match nights. 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

39 39

A Footballing Tour of Prague Seán Brennan

@SBahnManc

“The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” With quotes like that, former

them as the deserved winners of

named after the fighting spirit of

medicine students, and their

Another historically significant

Czech Prime Minister Václav

Euro 2004, although they fell

the Greek city Sparta, they play in

fanbase is traditionally drawn

club in the capital was Dukla

Havel could have moonlighted as

short in the semi final to the later

the Letná Stadium, which can be

from the middle class of Prague.

Prague. The club of the

an overdramatic football

champions Greece. Euro 1996

accessed by taking the 26 tram

Amongst their alumni are 90s

Czechoslovak army were 11

commentator. His home city of

also saw them come close to

across the River Vltava. The

Premier League sticker

times league champions and

Prague is a hotbed of football

glory, losing in extra time to

ground is beside the Prague

collectables Karel Poborský and

the subject of a Half Man Half

culture and touristic activity.

Germany due to a disappointing

Metronome, which offers

Patrik Berger.

Biscuit Christmas song. In

Known for its baroque

goalkeeping error. As a united

panoramic views of the city’s

architecture, Mittel Europa charm

Czechoslovakia they lost the

skyline. The club has a

Less than a kilometre away in

Příbram, a team 60km outside of

and nightlife attracting stag and

1962 World Cup final to Brazil.

traditionally working class

Vršovice lies the Ďolíček

Prague, taking on the name of

hen parties, ‘The City of 100

Their greatest success, however,

fanbase, but has been besieged

Stadium, home of Bohemians

Příbram. The name of Dukla was

Spires’ has become one of

was winning the 1976 European

by hooliganism issues in recent

Prague. A club with a fascinating

absent from Czech football until

Europe’s most visited

Championship, with Antonín

years. As the biggest club in the

history, their Kangaroo crest is

a local Prague side was taken

destinations in the 30 years since

Panenka (below) converting the

country, they have been a shop

derived from a 1927 tour of

over by Dukla management in

the fall of the iron curtain.

winning penalty in the most

window for some of the country’s

Australian football, and their

2006 and have since guided

biggest stars to leave further

stadium features a bizarre

them back into the top flight.

west, including Petr Čech, Tomás

amount of Aussie iconography.

They play at the Stadion Juliska

Řepka and Jan Koller.

Their fans are more left-leaning

in the north of the city, directly

than most in the Czech Republic,

across the river from Prague Zoo.

audacious manner, lending his Starting our tour with the national team, the Czechs have had a tendency to

name to the penalty trick of chipping the ball down the centre of the goal.

be dark horses

1996 Dukla merged with 1. FK

Sparta’s main city rivals are Slavia

and they take great pride of

Prague, who play in the Sinobo

being the club of Antonín

Our final stop in Prague is the

at major

Sparta Prague

Stadium, reachable with a train to

Panenka, the midfielder spent 14

central district of Žizkov, home to

tournaments,

are the biggest

the south eastern suburb of

years of his career there and is

FK Viktoria. Just behind the

as well as

club in the city,

Vršovice. The second most

now the club president. Panenka

Hlávni Nádraží central train

successful club in Czech football,

left for Rapid Vienna in 1981, and

station, their compact stadium is

they have won the last three

despite his absence Bohemains

in a lively neighbourhood,

league titles, as well as reaching

would experience their greatest

surrounded by bars, cafés and

the Europa League quarter finals

ever season two years later,

restaurants. A typical yo-yo team,

this year. Their recent rise has

winning the Czechoslovak

they currently play in the second

coincided with a takeover from

championship and reaching the

tier, although they won the Czech

CITIC – China’s largest state run

semi-finals of the UEFA Cup,

Cup as recently as 2001.

conglomerate. Slavia were

losing out to eventual winners

founded in 1892 by a group of

Anderlecht.

providing easy

and indeed the

inspiration to lazy

Czech Republic,

tabloid headline

with 36 league titles

writers. Many saw

in their history. Established in 1893 and

40 40

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

That completes our 5 footballing stories, just like the 5 stories of the tourist hotspot nightclub Karlovy Lázně. So whether your visit is based around the architecture of Charles Bridge and Staré Město, giving the Franz Kafka museum a trial, or hitting the clubs for a mate’s stag do, there are plenty of options for the curious football tourist. A mix of culture, clubs and cheap good quality beer will surely keep you busy after the game.

41 41

Quiz Time Kieran Coughlan

1 Who is the only player to have

Who is the only goalkeeper to play

played in an old firm, Manchester,

for Liverpool and Everton in the

Merseyside and a North London

premier league?

derby? 7 2 Who was the first African born player

50s to score a Premier League hat

to win the World Cup? Which 4 club's did St Pat's defeat in

trick? 8

3 the league last year? 4 Which current Shamrock Rovers

Who is the only player born in the

Which player won a Champions League medal in 2009 and 2010?

player was the PFAI young player of

Which country did Jack Byrne make his full international debut against?

the season in 2019? 10 Who was the first German to win a 5 Who captained Ireland at Euro 88?

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

THE SAINTS

MARCHING ON

42 42

WWW.MIG.IE

Answers Q.1 Kolo Toure. Q.2 Claudio Gentile. Q.3 Finn Harps, Sligo Rovers, Shelbourne, Cork City. Q.4 Danny Mandroiu. Q.5 Frank Stapleton. Q.6 Sander Westerveld. Q.7 Gordon Strachan. Q.8 Samuel Eto'o. Q.9 Bulgaria. Q.10 Jens Lehmann.

McCarthy Insurance Group

premier League Medal?

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

43 43

Paddy Coad - Rovers Legend

Ronan O’Flaherty

Seán Creedon

Down through the decades thousands of young

During his time as coach Paddy introduced a

the game went, how we played and if we lost, what

Irish players left schoolboy and League of Ireland

‘passing style’ of football rather than long ball

happened. But he would never interfere, he was a

clubs to join English League clubs hoping to make

great man.’’

expelled from the League, but returned in 1945. That decision opened the way for Coad to sign for

tactics. He was very impressed by England’s inside

the breakthrough in the professional game. Some

Rovers and he scored on his debut for The Hoops, a

forwards Raich Carter and Wilf Mannion and

were successful, others returned home and had

3-1 FAI Cup first round win over Brideville in

admitted that he tried to model his play on

Paddy was on the Rovers team that made history by

good careers in the League of Ireland.

February 1942.

Mannion’s style.

becoming the first League of Ireland team to play in

In my time watching League of Ireland football I

Coad spoke to Robert Goggins when Robert

think the best player I ever saw who didn’t move to

was compiling a history of Shamrock

an English club was Mick Leech. But people whose

Rovers and talked of the training

opinions I respect, assure me that the best League

methods with Waterford. He said: ‘‘Our

cups, Dublin City cups and Top Four

said of 37 year-old Coad: ‘‘I wish I could have seen

of Ireland player never to join an English club was

trainer in Waterford back then was a

competitions.

him as a boy, what ability.’’

another Rovers’ favourite Paddy Coad.

professional runner named Davy

the European Cup competition in 1957. Rovers were ‘Coad’s Colts’ went on to dominate the League of

beaten 6-0 by United in the first leg at Dalymount,

Ireland, winning the League three times, the

but went down only 3-2 in the second leg at Old

FAI Cup twice and several Leinster Senior

Trafford. Afterwards United manager Matt Busby

Christie. All of our training consisted of

At that time Rovers were owned by

He scored 126 goals in the League of Ireland and a

Paddy was born in Waterford in April 1920 and

running long distances, from Kilcohan

bookmaker Joe Cunningham, a native of

further 41 in the FAI Cup. Paddy’s best season was

attended De La Salle School in Stephen Street. He

Park to Tramore and back, which was

Clonmel and his wife Mary Jane

1943-44 when he scored 15 goals for The Hoops.

played hurling and table tennis in his native city. He

about ten or twelve miles. We saw the ball

(Fitzpatrick), who ‘ruled the roost’ at Rovers

Paddy won the first of his 11 Irish caps against

was a Munster Table Tennis champion before

only twice a week when we played a five-a-

concentrating on soccer with local junior club

side.’’

Corinthians, who were based in the Lower Yellow

for almost 40 years. Prior to Coad’s appointment the Rovers team was

England at Dalymount Park in September 1946, cutting short his honeymoon to make his debut.

selected by a committee.

Road area. He quickly came to the attention of

Paddy was quickly to

Waterford F.C. and made his debut for The Blues in

become the big name

October 1937.

player at Glenmalure

In January 1960 Paddy left Rovers and returned to Coad, who married the Cunninghams’

his native Waterford. Paddy continued playing for Waterford until 1962 and four years later managed

Park and was

daughter

The Blues to their first-ever League of Ireland title in

The talented midfielder attracted many scouts and

appointed captain. He

Kathleen, said:

1965-66.

joined Irish League club Glenavon in 1939. The plan

obviously had an

‘‘On the odd

was that Paddy would move North and then

interest in coaching

occasion that

Paddy left Waterford again in September 1967, this

hopefully transfer to an English club. But the Second

and attended FA

Joe

time to become manager of Limerick, but his stay at

World War intervened and Coad returned home

coaching courses in

after a few weeks and re-signed for Waterford.

Rhyl and Lilleshall

didn’t travel down

returned to his home town where he ran Paddy

and was appointed

the country with the

Coad’s Bar on the Quays. Paddy died in March

At the end of the 1940-41 season Cork United and

coach at Milltown

team, I would always

1992.

Waterford finished level on points at the top of the

in November 1949

League of Ireland table. A play-off was needed, but

with responsibility

when I got back to

there was a row in Waterford as the players sought

for team selection.

Dublin, no matter

Cunningham

have to ring him

a bonus and refused to travel to Cork for the play-

what time it was. I had

off. Cork were awarded the title and Waterford were

to let him know how

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

the Markets Field lasted only four months. He

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

In September 2014 a Waterford City ‘Blue Heritage Plaque’ was unveiled at the house on 95 Doyle Street, where Paddy grew up.

Club History @dlooney

Dermot Looney

1943/44: Leinster League Div II Runners Up; No Jitterbug Dancing Now in its fifth year, The Emergency, as the period of World War II was known in Ireland, led to many changes around Inchicore. Large numbers of local men had joined the war effort in Britain and the North. Inchicore had already seen its final tram service in 1940, with the old 21 route replaced with a bus; the next tram wasn’t due until the Luas arrived in 2004. The GSR railway works, soon to be renamed the CIE works with railway nationalisation coming down the tracks, saw innovations to fuel trains with peat briquettes, while an antiaircraft battery stood on Ballyfermot Hill to provide defence against the threat of Luftwaffe sorties. Football continued amidst the restrictions although reportage in newspapers, still reduced to 4 pages on average, remained limited. Pat’s were again in the LSL Division II and their season began, unusually, with a game left over from the 1942/43 season. Tolka Park was the venue for a test match (playoff) against Drogheda United to decide the runners up for the previous season’s League; Drogheda won the game 2-1. The 1943/44 League saw

familiar foes such as GSR, Portobello, Harmerne, Bohs C and Ierne along with the return of St James’ Gate and CYMS and new club Buccaneers. A new goalscorer with a familiar name to modern Saints fans came to prominence this season; Bermingham. There were two Berminghams in the Saints lineup that season; M in attack and R in defence. Other notable goalscorers were Brogan, Crowley, Leniston, Mullen, McCarthy, Ferris, Roche, Maher, Connolly, Ennis, Farrell and Tighe. Unfortunately for us, team lineups are not included in the restricted newspapers of the time, while goalscorer details are incomplete. The Saints had another fine season with a good scoring rate, winning games 4-1 (v GSR and Midland Athletic), 5-3 (v Bohs C), 5-1 (v Harmerne, St James’ Gate and Queens’s Park) and 62 (v Midland Ath and CYMS). Revenge was gained against Drogheda United with a 4-2 win in November. In a rare match report, the Drogheda Independent claimed that Pat’s goals were soft and helped by two harsh refereeing decisions. An unbeaten League run from October to March was ended by old rivals Hammond Lane. Pat’s

In April, right-full Maher and centre-forward Bermingham were called up to a Leinster League selection that took on a Northern (Belfast) Amateur League representative side at Dalymount Park. Bermingham scored the winning goal in a 3-2 win.

had first faced them on February 26th when the game was abandoned due to bad weather conditions after 65 minutes with the scoreline at 3-3. The rematch a month later saw Hammond Lane win 2-1. A rare league table was published in the Herald on May 19th, showing Hammond Lane on top of the League on 39 points from 24 games played (in the era of 2 points for a win), with Pat’s in second on 36 points from the same number of games played. Both sides had only two games left to play. With Hammond Lane not in action that weekend, Pat’s gave themselves a chance with a 2-0 win over local rivals GSR thanks to goals from Bermingham and McCormack. Although Hammond Lane’s 25th game of the season is not reported on, it is clear that they won the League by defeating St Pat’s 2-0 on Saturday, June 3rd – just 3 days before D-Day. Pat’s had also faced Hammond Lane in the second round of the Johnson Cup, the League Cup for the LSL Division II, having defeated Ierne in Round One. A 2-2 draw in December led to a replay on January 2nd in Donnybrook with Pat’s running

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

The Pat’s minor team competed well in the Leinster Minor Cup, reaching the semi-finals, with names such as Gough, Wall, Hartnett and Hoey on their scoring list; several of their players would later make the jump up to the senior side.

out 2-1 winners with goals from Molumby and an OG. However, Hammond Lane appear in the semi-finals of this competition so it appears they had the result overturned. This was not particularly uncommon in the era of ‘bangers’ and other similar complaints. Pat’s were beaten 3-1 in the third round of the Leinster Junior Cup by Home Farm in what the Herald called “one of the best games of the season”; Brogan was on the scoresheet for the Athletic. The Athletic also exited the FAI Junior Cup at the third round stage with defeat by Bohs C.

As the season ended, a meeting of the FAI’s Junior Committee on June 1st promised to provide assistance to St Patrick’s Athletic in their ground development programme at Richmond Park. But Pat’s, by this stage ensconced in Richer for five years, weren’t waiting on handouts. The club organised a major sweepstake based on the “Fifteen Hundred,” or Phoenix Plate, a horse race taking place on August 12th in the Phoenix Park.

The filly Lady’s View romped home, good news for the owner of ticket 9298, a J Keating of the Tool Room in the Inchicore Works. The seller of the ticket was one H Markey of Inchicore – quite possibly the same Harry Markey who had been banging in goals for Pat’s a few short years earlier, and who was by this stage a local referee. The club also hosted Duffy’s Circus; the tent was erected next door in Cassell’s Field but entry was through Richmond Park. On Monday May 15th, the club held its annual dance in Arus Mhuire, Inchicore. The performers were Phil Murtagh and his band, along with Joe Brady. There were other attractions too; “numerous valuable spots, free cash draw, guest artistes, ladies’ half-hour.” Dancing was from 8-12 with reserved admission, including tax, of 2 shillings and sixpence. The final line was somewhat ominous; “No jitterbug dancing.”

Season Statistics League position: 2nd. Cup record:

Johnson Cup 2R, Leinster Junior Cup 3R, FAI Junior Cup 3R.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Stephen Bennett@stebenn15

Airtricity League Premier Division Irish Independent - Saturday 7th April 2012

ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 SHAMROCK ROVERS 1 MAYBE, just maybe, this could be remembered as the night when St Patrick’s Athletic started to rise again. Chris Forrester turns to celebrate after scoring his side’s third goal, as Jansson and Gannon look on.

Their manager, Liam Buckley, was at pains to stress on Tuesday that the target for this season was a top-four finish. After this comprehensive dismantling of the league champions, Saints followers are entitled to dream of a title tilt. Rovers defended terribly here, but that shouldn’t detract from the hosts’ composed performance, which featured some goals that will certainly feature in the end-of-season highlights reel.

“We’ll try and keep things calm,” said Buckley. “We might have caught Rovers on an off night, and they won’t lose too many games this season, but we’ve played particularly well.” While midfield duo James Chambers and Greg Bolger set the tone, the blue chip moments were delivered by young Dubliner Chris Forrester, who played with a confidence and skill that backs up the common belief that he can follow in the footsteps of the celebrated League of Ireland exports of the last decade. Forrester’s is a remarkable story. The right winger didn’t play organised football until his mid-teens, having learned his talents on the streets of Dublin’s northside. Belvedere spotted his potential and the 19-year-old showed glimpses of his talent at Bohs last year before the Saints lured him to Richmond Park. This masterclass succeeded in exposing a former team-mate, Killian Bren-nan, who has been filling in at left-back for Rovers during Conor Powell’s suspension. Stephen Kenny stuck with Brennan here despite Powell’s availability and Liam Buckley instructed his men to test that channel. In the third minute, midfielder Chambers quickly swept a free-kick in that direction, finding Forrester with precision. The teenager cut inside onto his left

foot and unleashed a 25-yarder that was too good for Oscar Jansson. An incredible start, and it would get worse for Rovers. They did have chances. Gary Twigg threatened before the opener and then struck the bar from a Billy Dennehy corner. Pat’s doubled their lead when Chris Fagan arrowed a diagonal pass to Forrester, who teased Brennan and tried a toepoke that deflected off the hapless Rovers man and into the path of the John Russell who did the rest. Goal No 3 started with controversy, and ended with a touch of class. Forrester was offside as he initially chased a Greg Bolger pass and, realising that fact, he stepped back to allow Fagan take the ball on. He continued his run to collect the striker’s flick and with Jansson to beat, he nonchalantly scooped the ball with his right foot over the Swede.

TALENT

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

“He’s a talent, that kid,” said Buckley, “And he’ll definitely play at a higher level. I love watching him play.”

Clarke, O’Brien, Browne, Kenna, Bermingham; Chambers (Rossiter 87), Bolger; Forrester (D Kelly 68), Russell, J Kelly; Fagan (O’Connor 86).

The Rovers bench protested that Forrester was actively offside in the buildup, but their mood was helped when a Ken Oman header reduced the deficit in first-half stoppage-time. Kenny subsequently withdrew Aaron Greene and Chris Turner, sending for Gary McCabe and Daryl Kavanagh.

SHAMROCK ROVERS Jansson, Gannon, Oman, Sives, Brennan (Powell 84); Rice, Turner (Kavanagh 59); Dennehy, Finn, Greene (McCabe 45); Twigg. REFEREE A Buttimer (Limerick).

They were unable to change the game and Kavanagh was dispossessed in the build-up to the fourth. Russell capitalised to release Fagan, who rounded Jansson and finished with a swagger. The on-loan Rovers ’keeper was having a miserable night and his slip led to the fifth with Jake Kelly chipping over him for Fagan to nod into the unguarded net.

St Pats’s goalkeeper Brendan Clarke and team-mate Greg Bolger at the end of the game.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v SHAMROCK ROVERS

Local Heroes Gerry O’Rourke

Part II

Stephen Bennett

@stebenn15

We conclude the fascinating story of Gerry O'Rourke. If you missed the first part, download our last edition to catch up. Determination again Gerry O'Rourke was looking at his options. Basketball was doable, as was table tennis. He represented Ireland in both. But the wheelchair marathon was his focus. October 1982 would prove to the start of something quite extraordinary. Focus and drive also got him a position at the Department of Education, where he still works today. Things were taking shape. Including his personal life, where a romance with Davina began to blossom. "The Irish Wheelchair Association got me competitive again. You knew you could do something and there was hope," Gerry says, describing his decision to devote his life to becoming a champion in wheelchair sports. "I missed the first marathon (in 1981) because I hadn't got a chair. In 1982, with my job in the Department of Education, they all joined together and bought me a wheelchair and after that it was training and more training. "You get hungry for success and that's what drove it for me. But again, without the people in the Irish Wheelchair Association, it's what kept me going. There was light at the end of the tunnel. "I was getting a bit of success and getting in the papers. People got to know me. I was being invited on different television

programmes and it certainly helps." Among these was an appearance on RTÉ's ‘Know Your Sport', with Jimmy Magee and George Hamilton. "My first Dublin Marathon in 1982, there was Mick Cunningham who won the marathon the first year and I remember coming through Finglas, I was very powerful on hills, and in Finglas there was a hill and I just saw myself getting away and I said to myself, ‘I'm going to make a break here and go on to win it'," Gerry recalls. "Luckily enough, that's what happened to me. You win it once, then you're travelling away to different marathons, Cork, Galway and Belfast, you just want to win. "I wasn't just there to compete. I wanted those accolades for winning all the time. The more I won the more it drove me to keep it that way. It felt brilliant." Winning indeed became a habit. Gerry won his first continental medal at the European Championships in Brussels back in 1983, claiming bronze in the 5,000m.

Olympics, and '84 was my first one. I finished second in the 1,500m, second in the 800m and third in the 400m," he says. "I trained with my coach Carol Hayes, she was my first and only coach and she was brilliant. I used to train with her in UCD in the winter nights on the track and she drove me on. She was an inspiration." In his first London Marathon in 1985 he finished second. By then, he had won his third Dublin Marathon in succession. "I was beaten on the line in London. My Mam and Dad were with me, and I was disappointed," he says. Before he would return to London the following year, another devastating blow befell him. His Dad had been diagnosed with cancer. "Even though I came second in 1985, which was a fantastic result, I was disappointed because my Dad wasn't well, he was suffering with cancer," he recalls. "But I went in 1986 and won it, my Dad was too sick to travel."

A trip to the Los Angeles Paralympic Games in 1984 yielded more success.

Gerry recalls arriving back to the CIE social club in the estate where he grew up on the night of his London win.

"They gave it the title Paralympics, as in being parallel to the

"It was brilliant, it must have been 12 o'clock at night and the whole

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Gerry's medals won from various events all over the world

place erupted when I came in the door". Success, and the adulation that followed, more than made up for the hard yards of training. Younger kids in the area wanted his autograph. "They were brilliant times, unbelievable really". However, nobody was there to pat him on the back or ask him for his scribble in the early hours of the morning when training kicked in again. "The winters were tough. Some mornings I'd get up at 6 o'clock, I'd do ten miles, come home, get showered and into work and then out to Belfield in the evenings on the track doing repetitions of 1,500m and 5,000m," he says.

"It was a great place to train. Dave Taylor was there, a brilliant athlete and you got to know them and you'd be trying to keep pace with some of them.

"In those days, I was training just to keep up with them, but once you got into competition I was driven and they were no different than me, really."

"The commitment was huge. I used to train probably five or six nights a week, and it'd be lonely. I'd be out on the roads training. But I had to do it. When I went away to LA in '84 and the World Championships in '86 in Sweden, I was racing against professional athletes.

"When I went to Korea in 1988, I took three months off work to train because I had to. I didn't medal in Korea. I got to four finals and finished fourth in all of them which broke my heart.

"It's nearly all professional now and rightly so. People are sponsored well thank God, and because it is the parallel Olympics and they're all outstanding athletes.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

"But if I didn't take three months off work I probably would have been knocked out in each event." A bittersweet symphony Amid all the hard work and medals, Gerry was falling in love with the woman who stood by him through thin and thinner. Gerry married his

Local Heroes Gerry O’Rourke Stephen Bennett

sweetheart Davina Ryan in September 1986. What was supposed to be a year of celebration both on and off the track, with a London Marathon winner's medal to add to his collection, proved bittersweet. Gerry's father, John, the man who lead him out of the abyss and lifted his spirits at their lowest, passed away, and to compound the agony, tragedy struck Davina's side of the family in the same week. "My Dad died in August of '86 and Davina's brother John died the week before my Dad," he says. "I was in England at a championships in Stoke Mandevillle when a message came over the tannoy for me. It was unbelievable. My coach Carol Hayes had been told what had happened. I thought it was my Dad but it wasn't. It was Davina's brother John. He'd been killed in a car crash. "I went home straight away and the following weekend I buried my Dad. It was a week I'd rather forget, the way it all happened within seven days. "It was a tough year in the end but the crowning glory was that we got married in September, and it gave everybody, both families, a boost," he adds, the positivity in the face of pain shining through again.

@stebenn15

"Sport helped me get over the loss of my limbs. I'd be telling lies if I said you don't have bad days, even still.

His grip on the Dublin Marathon ended in 1988, amid some mitigating circumstances.

"Certainly when I used to look at Denis Irwin and Roy Keane playing football and I'd say, ‘I was a good footballer, maybe I could have had a chance.' But, all in all, getting involved in wheelchair sports kept me going.

"In 1988, I got back from the Paralympic Games in Korea on the Friday and I raced on the Monday morning. I finished third," he recalls. "I was going well but a chap from England, Andy Haynes won it. He was a fine athlete. It all caught up with me."

"You have two choices. You can either sit down and crumble or you can get up and carry on. I was lucky enough to get up and carry on.

In 1987, Gerry received an Outstanding Achievement in Sport award from RTÉ. Rubbing shoulders with cycling hero Stephen Roche was a special thrill. "Stephen won the Sports Personality of the Year and it was brilliant just to be in their company. We were out in RTÉ, Davina was due to give birth to our first son so one of my brothers came with me," he remembers. "It was just amazing to be in with all those great sports people from all different fields; cycling, soccer, GAA, rugby and to get an award was great. "It kind of capped off a lot of stuff that I'd done over the years. It was superb recognition. It was a breakthrough for wheelchair/disabled athletes whereas nowadays it's tremendous the coverage it gets. "Rightly so, because they are fantastic athletes. Certainly when you see the Paralympics now. Seeing Jason Smyth recently winning his eighth gold medal. It's a tremendous achievement." Gerry took a break from the Dublin Marathon in 1989 to represent Ireland at the European Wheelchair Basketball championships. He returned, however, in 1990 triumphantly. "That was my last Dublin Marathon." Although still only 28, Gerry didn't return to

drive," he says.

Gerry went back on the roads in pursuit of another victory on the streets of his city. He duly added another Dublin Marathon victory in October 1986 to make it his sixth victory in succession and added a seventh in 1987.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

competitive wheelchair athletics. He lost his love for the sport. "I regretted it. I went to the World Championships in Holland and won three golds, a silver and bronze on the track and I really going very well at that stage. I was probably in the best shape of my career, but then I didn't compete after that," he adds. "I missed Barcelona in 1992. I tried to go back a few years later and I just didn't have the stomach for it. I was on the track training and I just felt empty. I didn't feel the passion for it anymore. "It was more the team sports, the basketball after that, and I enjoyed it. "We played in the European Championships and there was a

European League in which we competed in the ‘B' Division and we made it to the ‘A' Division which was tremendous. "We travelled all over Europe. That's the one thing I did say to myself, if I didn't have the accident I don't think I'd have travelled to many of the countries I've been to. "To see the places I've seen out of something that you really love doing it was brilliant." Pastures new The positive outlook on his accident has sustained him.

"But with the great help of a great family and with Davina, we're married 33 years, we're so fortunate with two sons and a granddaughter and grandson, so, you couldn't ask for any more." These days, Gerry is still working for the Department of Education, is a regular attendee at Ireland soccer matches and holds a Leinster Rugby season ticket, which he attends with his sons Stephen and Corey. Happy and content. The boy who lost his legs is now the man who is glad to have made a contribution to Irish sport's tapestry. Ultimately, he hopes to inspire more to do the same.

"I know it's not easy for anybody who has had accidents, but the one thing I did find was that sport gave me that lease and that

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Club Shop

Ronan O’Flaherty

https://supersaintsstore.com/

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Staff Match Day Jacket Small Youths to 3XL

@karl_pats

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Red Training Jersey

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

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A View from Afar

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ian Templeman

@iantemplemanloi

The first two League of Ireland games I ever witnessed both involved Shamrock Rovers, the first in March 1993 and the next 18 months later in November 1994. During a recent browse through some old football programmes in my attic, I came across the match programmes from both games, and in doing so was reminded of a story that may be remembered by Rovers fans, and indeed Pats fans, who would have been attending games involving Rovers around that time.

Eighteen months later, at the end of November 1994, we made another trip over to Dublin for a weekend break, and on this occasion Shamrock Rovers had a home ﬁxture against Derry City. Home for Rovers at that stage was the RDS, and again, as it was a Sunday afternoon we decided to ﬁt in the game around other events planned on our visit.

I ticked off my first ever League of Ireland game on my first visit to Ireland, when myself and the then future Mrs T came over to visit Dublin for a few days and take in the atmosphere around St Patrick’s Day. As we planned our agenda on arriving, I noticed in a newspaper that Shamrock Rovers were due to play Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on the Sunday afternoon after we arrived (Sunday March 14th 1993) with a 3.30 pm kick off. It transpired that the day was a fine sunny one, so I suggested that a trip to the seaside town of Bray, a spot of lunch and a stroll along the prom before going to a football match on a lovely afternoon was a good way to spend a few hours. So we jumped on the DART and made our way down there.

As we approached the ground we were wondering if we would see the dog again, given that the stadium was much larger than the Carlisle Grounds. As it turned out, we saw the dog quicker than we expected – there was a picture of said dog on the front page of the match programme we bought. The reason for the feature was a sad one, however – the dog had died, and the owner, a lady called Kitty Mellon, had written a little tribute to her dog who was called Cindy, which was published in the programme. I’ve reproduced it below.

The game itself I can’t really recall, I think it was unremarkable and Rovers won 2-1, but our abiding memory of the day was from the terraces, rather than any on ﬁeld action. Shortly before kick-off, we noticed that a few yards away along the terraces was a lady with a small dog, and the dog was resplendent in a knitted green and white hooped coat. I vaguely recall we went over at some stage and patted the dog, and exchanged a few words with the owner, remarking on how well behaved the dog was and commented on how unusual it was to see a canine supporter decked out in club colours at a game. I think we may have taken a picture too, although I’ve been unable to ﬁnd one after a look back through my old photos.

A Tribute to Cindy “Cindy was born in August 1981. Her owner offered me a choice of one of her mother’s pups. He said that they were going to be special. My daughter chose a pup which we later named Cindy. She was just special from the start, and I never had to take her on a lead, as she never strayed on the road. One day my sister and I were eating biscuits, and she remarked “Look, she’s begging up”, and we took a picture of her. It was one of her characteristics. I took her everywhere, even to Mass, she always behaved so well. I believe that she was instrumental during the bad years, as when she started coming to the matches, Rovers improved, and she was at all the matches during the four-in-a-row. Pat Byrne always led her out.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

I would say to her on a Sunday, “We’re going to the match” and she would chase upstairs and get her jersey to have it put on. She was a great traveller, and bus drivers often remarked “That’s a very well-behaved dog”. She was so attached to me and much as she loved going for a walk, unless I was going, she would not go with anybody. I never realised how much she meant to the supporters and players, until Peter Eccles’ testimonial. So many lads from the supports came to offer me sympathy. It was so emotional. Even some of the team said we were an inspiration to them, which overwhelmed me. When we travelled to the away matches the ﬁrst thing I was asked was “Where is the little dog?”. Cindy loved everybody. She was special. Some others are blessed with a special pet in their lifetime, but I consider that I was privileged to own a “very special” one who was completely devoted to me. At the match on Friday November 18th so many Pat’s supporters asked, “Where is the little dog?” I am heartbroken at present, and I hope to get another dog in the near future. It won’t be the same as Cindy, but I must keep up her tradition. On her behalf I know she would like to thank all the children and adults who loved the little dog. Surely the good Lord must have a special place for the Extra Special pets, and I hope she is there”.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

Looking back at this story now, even though we are only talking about the mid-1990s and not exactly the dark ages, it seems a rather quaint and old-fashioned idea that a lady would take a little dog in a bespoke knitted green and white woolly coat to see a football match week in week out. It’s almost like a hark back to a gentler era of bygone black and white days, when people wore ﬂat caps, sported rosettes bedecked in club colours on their overcoats, and showed their appreciation of exciting play by whirling a wooden hand rattle around, as opposed to being a story from less than 30 years ago. But no matter what era it came from, it’s still a nice story to retell. It has got me wondering if there was a sequel to this too. Did Kitty ever get another dog, and did she bring him/her along to Rovers games too? Maybe someone reading this will remember, and if so, perhaps you could send me or Ruairi the programme editor a message on Twitter, or if you don’t do social media there’s an e-mail address on the editorial page. I’d be interested to hear from anyone with any tales to tell about Cindy and indeed of Kitty, and if there is anyone out there who remembers them, hopefully this story of my one and only meeting with them, down in the Carlisle Grounds in Bray all those years ago, will spark some memories you can share.

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Player Apps & Goals 2021 League of Ireland

Total

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Vítězslav Jaroš

John Mountney

Ian Bermingham

Sam Bone

Lee Desmond

Jamie Lennon

Robbie Benson

Chris Forrester

Nahum Melvin-Lambert

Ronan Coughlan

Jason McClellend

Matty Smith

Paddy Barrett

Billy King

Alfie Lewis

Darragh Burns

Ben McCormack

Shane Griffin

Barry Murphy

Josh Keeley

Cian Kelly

Kian Corbally

Daniel Norris

Jamie Whelan

Own Goal

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

SSE Airtricity. Official Sponsor of the Premier Division.

FAI Cup

Pld

Pts

LAST 5 MATCHES

Shamrock Rovers

W W W W W

St Patrick's Athletic

W W W

Sligo Rovers

W W

Finn Harps

-1

Drogheda United

Dundalk

W W

Bohemians

-4

Derry City

-6

W W

Longford Town

-8

-9

10 Waterford FC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

59 59

Results & Lineouts 2021

League

Venue Comp Score

FAI Cup

1st Sub

2nd Sub 3rd Sub

4th Sub

5th Sub 1 Goals Scored

P Penalty OG Own Goal For

Date

Opposition

Starting XI

Fri 19 Mar

Shamrock Rovers

Away

Series 1

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Grifﬁn

Desmond

Barrett

Lennon

King

Benson

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

McClelland

Bone

Bermingham

Sat 27 Mar

Drogheda Utd

Home Series 2

2-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Grifﬁn

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

McClelland

Benson

Coughlan 1

Forrester

Smith

Bermingham

Burns

King

Sat 03 Apr

Bohemians

Away

Series 3

1-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

Burns

Benson

Coughlan 1

Forrester

Smith

Barrett

McClelland

Fri 09 Apr

Derry City

Home Series 4

2-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

King

Benson

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Burns

McClelland

Sat 17 Apr

Dundalk

Away

Series 5

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

McClelland

Benson

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Barrett

Tue 20 Apr

Waterford

Home Series 6

1-0

Jaroš

Grifﬁn

Bermingham

Desmond

Barrett

Lewis

McCormack

King

Coughlan

Forrester

Burns

Fri 23 Apr

Finn Harps

Away

Series 7

2-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

Lennon

King

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Fri 30 Apr

Longford Town

Home Series 8

3-0

Jaroš

Grifﬁn

Barrett

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

Burns

Lewis

King

Forrester

Mon 03 May

Sligo Rovers

Away

Series 9

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham 1

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

Lennon

King

Coughlan

Forrester

Sat 08 May

Shamrock Rovers

Home Series 10

0-1

Fri 14 May

Drogheda Utd

Away

Series 11

0-1

Fri 21 May

Bohemians

Home Series 12

0-1

Mon 24 May

Derry City

Away

Series 13

0-1

Fri 28 May

Dundalk

Home Series 14

0-1

Sat 12 June

Longford Town

Away

Series 15

0-1

Fri 18 June

Sligo Rovers

Home Series 16

0-1

Mon 21 June Finn Harps

Home Series 17

0-1

Fri 25 June

Waterford

Away

Series 18

0-1

Fri 02 July

Bohemians

Away

Series 19

0-1

Fri 09 July

Derry City

Home Series 20

0-1

Fri 16 July

Drogheda Utd

Home Series 21

0-1

Fri 30 July

Shamrock Rovers

Away

Series 22

0-1

Fri 06 Aug

Dundalk

Away

Series 23

0-1

Fri 13 Aug

Waterford

Home Series 24

0-1

Fri 20 Aug

Finn Harps

Away

Series 25

0-1

Fri 03 Sept

Longford Town

Home Series 26

0-1

Sat 11 Sept

Sligo Rovers

Away

Series 27

0-1

Fri 24 Sept

Shamrock Rovers

Home Series 28

0-1

Fri 01 Oct

Drogheda Utd

Away

Series 29

0-1

Fri 08 Oct

Bohemians

Home Series 30

0-1

Fri 15 Oct

Derry City

Away

Series 31

0-1

Mon 25 Oct

Dundalk

Home Series 32

0-1

Sat 30 Oct

Longford Town

Away

Series 33

0-1

Fri 05 Nov

Sligo Rovers

Home Series 34

0-1

Fri 12 Nov

Finn Harps

Home Series 35

0-1

Fri 19 Nov

Waterford

Away

Series 36

0-1

Yellow Card

Red Card

Substitutes

Burns

Kelly

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

King

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

Lewis

Melvin-Lambert

Barrett

McCormack

Corbally

Murphy

Keeley

King

Lewis

Corbally

Burns

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

1 Benson

Mountney

Smith

Lennon

Bone

Corbally

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

1 Lewis

Grifﬁn

McCormack

Corbally

Burns

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Keeley

Smith

Coughlan 1

Mountney

Bermingham

McCormack

Corbally

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Smith

Burns

Lewis

McCormack

Corbally

Grifﬁn

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Bermo’s 95th minute equaliser causes wild jubilation!

Extra.ie FAI Cup Dates

EA Sports Cup

1st Round - Week Ending 25th July

The 2021 edition of the EA Sports Cup has been cancelled

2nd Round - Week Ending 29th August

* Own Goal

Quarter Finals - Week Ending 19th September Semi-Finals - Week Ending 24th October Final - Week Ending November 28th

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.05 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers

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